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Sunday, June 29, 2014

Here comes another tag for your entertainment! This one is the Boyfriend Tag.... and you guessed it, my bf Clarence collaborated with me to make this post come to life. :P It has been six months with this guy, let's see how well he knows me.

D: Where did we meet?

C: Broman (it's the name of one of the student houses back at McMaster).

D: Where was our first date?

C: If you don't count your house then it was at the theatre at FMP (First Markham Place) to watch Frozen.

D: Where was our first kiss and how was it?
C: Wardman (another name of a student house). It was good. WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?
D: If I had to answer I would say that it was an awkward first kiss from my point of view... I was definitely surprised and caught off guard haha

D: Did you know I was the one?
C: I sure hope so.

D: What was your first impression of me?
C: Sweaty. Very sweaty.
D: Oh my... it wasn't a very good one then. (To those of you who didn't know, he saw me for the very first time after I had played some softball.)
C: But still sweaty nonetheless, and a tad bit stinky.

D: When did you meet the family?
C: I met most of your family the time I went to RHCCC before TC in first year. I don't remember when I met your dad 'cause it was separate.
D: Probably the first time he drove us to our TC REC meetings.

D: When was our first road trip?
C: What road trip?
D: Yea this question is not applicable... but we'll have our first trip together in August 2015 for the cruise!

D: Who said I loved you first and where were you?
C: You said I love you first and we were at Wardmen
D: Really? I don't remember that, but ok. :P

D: What do you argue about the most?
C: We don't really argue... but I would have to say it would be the "Are you alright?" "Yeah." "Are you really alright?" "Yeah." "Are you telling the truth?" "...no."

D: Who has the paints in the relationship?
C: Interchangeable pants you know?
D: LOL What does that even mean?
C: Dooooooon't worry.

D: If I'm sitting in front of the TV what would I be watching?
C: Something to do with makeup OR Pretty Little Liars
D: Not bad, although Pretty Little Liars is not my alltime favourite show... it's more like Grey's Anatomy.

D: What dressing do I get on my salad?
C: Ceasar?
D: Wow, I'm impressed. Balsamic is up there too.

D: What's the one food that I don't like?
C: Tendon. HAHAHAHAHAHA

D: We go out to eat, what do I get to drink?
C: Water. So Asian :D
D: Whaaat, it's healthy and I don't have to pay extra for it.

D: What size shoe do I wear?
C: Small
D: It's size 7!
C: 7 is pretty small yo.

D: If I was collecting anything what would it be?
C: I remember you telling me this, but I forgot
D: My Starbucks cards!

D: What's my favourite type of sandwich?
C: The good kinds.
D: I'm actually not a fan of sandwiches that have coldcuts or ham...unless they're the hot-pressed ones or gourmet paninis.

D: What would I eat everyday if I could?
C: Sushi
D: And pasta!

D: What's my favourite cereal?
C: Special K? I think?
D: Wrong. It's Kashi Go Lean Crunch. I always mix it in with my yogurt.
C: It has K in it, same thing.

D: What 's my favourite music?
C: This is a tough one because I feel you like specific artists more than a favourite type of music... but maybe Rock?
D: Since when did you ever hear me listen to Rock?! I admit that I'm one to love mainstream music, or YouTube covers if that's even a genre.

D: What 's my favourite sports team?
C: The softball team you are currently on. THAT I FORGOT I'M SORRY.
D: Yea I guess you can say that... but it's TEAM ARKEO!

D: What's my eye colour?
C: Brown.

D: Who's my best friend?
C: Steph. Or Char. I'll let them fight over who is the BEST friend.

D: What's something that you do that I wish you didn't?
C: Probably gaming too much, or drive dangerously.

D: What's my heritage?
C: Chinese.

D: You bake me a cake for my birthday, what would you bake?
C: The not-chocolate kind. Vanilla. Vanilla is pretty safe. OR ICE CREAM.
D: Yay! You remembered that I don't like chocolate-flavoured things. :3

D: Do I play sports?
C: Softball. And running, I guess.

D: What could I spend hours doing?
C: Youtube. AND DRINKING STARBUCKS. Probably YouTube videos of drinking Starbucks.
D: Who would watch Youtube videos of people drinking Starbucks?! Definitely not me.
C: Who doesn’t wanna watch videos of people drinking Starbucks?

D: What's one unique talent that I have?
C: THEY ALL UNIQUE OKAY
D: Wow, can't even think of one thing.

How did he do? Hopefully the next time anything like this comes up, he'll know almost everything about me. What other questions would you like us to answer? Satisfy your curiosity and comment below!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Hey there! I started a full-time summer job this week as an administrative assistant for a pharmaceutical consulting company so I've been coming back home dead tired for the past few days...but no fret, I have long lunch breaks so here I was able to start writing this post. :)

Within these past few months I've had so many different occasions and events that required me to give a gift. With all the time that I had (prior to getting this job), I decided to scavenge some DIY gift ideas off Pinterest. I had loads of fun making the four gifts that I'm about to show you. They're all super simple to make using materials that are easily accessible.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Last week was so eventful! Almost every day I had plans and it wasn't until this week that I was able to settle down, reflect, and be thankful for everything that happened.

The big event of last week was my convocation! I was conferred the undergraduate degree Bachelor of Science Honours in Biology with a minor in Environmental Science from McMaster University (any Mac Marauders out there?! Woot woot!).

Tips for your future convocation:
- Take Highway 407 if you have a morning ceremony. It saved my life in terms of beating the traffic.
- Wear a dress that has pockets so you can keep your phone on you for pictures or for locating your family afterwards.
- If you're wearing heels to the ceremony, remember to bring a pair of comfy shoes to change into after.
- Buy flowers beforehand. The bouquets sold at the venue are overpriced.

It was a hectic but great day. It's crazy to know that four years have already passed by. I still remember the day when I first set foot into my residence back in my first year. I've been blessed to have met so many wonderful people who are now my closest, lifelong friends. I couldn't have made it through this undergrad without them. I'll always remember the study parties, allnighters, movie nights, late night Tim Horton runs, softball intramurals, fellowship, workout sessions, girl talks, and more.

Here's a shoutout to my beautiful housemates of 3 years (19 Sterling forever!). We did it, we deserve this expensive piece of paper haha.

I'll definitely miss scrambling across campus to get to class, but also the environment itself. McMaster has one of the most beautiful campuses (OK, I'm slightly biased, but it's true!) and it will be a while till I return again. It was a great four years of ups and downs, but I know that this chapter of my life is one that has molded and changed me the most.

The following day was the bf's convocation! The whole time he thought I couldn't make it to see him walk across the stage and graduate... but little did he know that I was scheming with his mom and ended up surprising him with my presence that day :)

For those of you who are about to enter university:
Don't take this opportunity for granted. There are so many people out there who wish they could have post-secondary education, let alone university. Enjoy your new independence and freedom but don't go overboard. Go and meet new people because there you'll foster the friendships that will last forever.

For those of you who are in university:
Stop slacking. Every year counts. Eat healthy. Maintain the friendships from high school or back home, don't neglect them. One bad mark will not ruin your future, you just gotta pick yourself back up and tell yourself to try even harder next time. Keep in touch with your parents and visit them, they may be annoying or frustrating but without their support you may not be where you're at right now.

For those of you who just graduated from university:
Congratulations! You made it through. Don't be nervous of what's coming, embrace the next chapter of your life. Make an effort to meet up with the friends you've made in these past several years. It's time to smarten up and mature since you're gonna start providing and making a living for yourself. Pay off your school debts as soon as you can!

Sunday, June 15, 2014

I adore Pinterest. I love how I can easily search up different DIY's and recipes, or get inspiration for outfits and event planning. This was one of the very first Pinterest recipes that I decided to try and it turned out to be a success (the picture justifies how it turned out aesthetically haha)! I made this appetizer for a friend's surprise birthday party a while back and it was well loved. People have been asking me for this recipe so I'm just going to share it right here with all of you!

If you don't know what canapes are, they're basically small pieces of bread or pastry with some sort of topping. The topping for this recipe is delicious, and you'll soon get to try it out for yourselves!

How To Make:
1. Slice the baguette into thin slices, a little less than 1 cm thick. You can cut the bread diagonally to get bigger slices.
2. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, spoon the avocado flesh out of its shell, and cut each half into thin slices.
3. Have the garlic and red onion finely chopped into small pieces.
4. Mash the cream cheese, garlic, and red onion together so it becomes evenly distributed in the paste. Add some extra flavour by seasoning with your desired amount of garlic salt.
5. Spread enough of the cream cheese paste so that it generously covers the top of each piece of bread.
6. Top each bread with avocado. Sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice on the avocados to prevent browning. Sprinkle some ground black pepper on each.

Now wasn't that easy to make? Enjoy your canapes! I would love to see how yours turn out. Tweet me a picture or Instagram it and tag me. My username for both is @desireelaw. Enjoy the rest of your night!

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Hi again! Hope you're all doing well! I just painted my fingernails so I'm trying to type this out without getting my nails touching the keyboard :P You've probably seen an Instagram pic of them by now.

I recently bought some stuff that I think you would find useful to know so I'll be sharing what I purchased and why with you all!

Salad Dressing Cups

Before I discovered these I never wanted to pack salads for lunch because I thought that pouring the dressing onto the lettuce beforehand would cause it to become all wilted and soggy come lunchtime. This will change it all! These little cups are meant to hold your salad dressing separately so that your lettuce can stay fresh and crisp when it's time to eat. The cup is small enough so that you can fit the whole thing into your container of salad, no need to carry it separately! It can be used to hold other things for your salad (e.g. croutons), hold some snacks on the go (e.g. trail mix), or hold leftovers (e.g. sauce that can be reused for another meal)... very versatile. This pack of six was purchased from Dollarama for only a dollar!

Simple Soothing Facial Toner

I am about to finish my first bottle of this and have already repurchased my next bottle. This line of skincare products by Simple is produced specifically for people with sensitive skin, so the ingredients used are not harsh and very gentle to the skin (no perfumes/dyes/alcohol). I don't really have sensitive skin anymore but I still use this toner because it feels so good on the face and my skin feels refreshed after applying. This was purchased at Walmart so it's very affordable.

The Brush Guard

These things are amazing. They act like sheaths for your makeup brushes (for which I am using them) but they can be also used for paint brushes. They come in different sets but I bought the variety pack which comes with different sized brush guards. I placed one of the guards on my blush brush to show how it's used. As it mentions on the packaging, it helps maintain the proper shape of the brush and protect the bristles from damage when travelling and/or storing. Another great benefit of these guards is how it helps the brush to dry upside down after it has been washed. The guards are made from a stiff mesh material that wraps tightly around the barrel of the brush so it can be held upside down when propped up. This enables the water to drain down and out of the brush after washing rather than dripping back into the barrel and loosening the glue that holds the bristles if it was propped upright. These guards also help keep the brushes cleaner since they can be placed upside down in a holder instead of having the bristles face up and collect dust. I ordered this online from Amazon for only $5!

Detox Water Bottle

I first got inspiration from Youtuber Cassey Ho of Blogilates to try making detox water (you should check her out if you don't know of her, she uploads fun workout videos). There are so many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that can be extracted from fruit and vegetables...this bottle helps you accomplish that. As you can see on the box, the fruit and veggies used for your detox water is placed in the infuser compartment of the bottle. The infuser can be detached so washing is very easy (the entire bottle is dishwasher safe). To make detox water, you fill the infuser with whatever fruit/veggies you want, fill the bottle with water, wait for an hour or so, and voila! The fruit and veggies give the water an extra kick of flavour and it's very energizing. My favourite combination of ingredients for detox water is lemon, orange and cucumber together (it's a tummy-slimming recipe hehe). This was also ordered from Amazon!

Bottle Brush Scrubber

Have you ever found it hard to wash tall but narrow tumblers, vases, or bottles? Or even tiny crevices in your tumbler/bottle caps? I find it so frustrating when I'm trying to scrub the grime off the inside but my hand and sponge can't reach the bottom and the grime collects in these items. This super cheap scrubber has saved the day. I placed the scrubber beside my Contigo tumbler in the pic as a reference for it's length. This can definitely reach the bottom of these tall items. The plastic bristles are soft enough such that it won't cause any scratches that can damage your tumblers or other household items. The smaller end of the scrubber is also useful to get into very small spaces that your fingers/sponge might not be able to reach, or even to tackle small, tricky stains at the bottom of your bottles. This staple household cleaning tool was only a dollar at Dollarama!

What are some things that you have bought recently? Anything to recommend?

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Hi all! Hope you're having a splendid day so far :) It's currently raining as I'm writing this post so it's a tad bit gloomy on my side. However I enjoy my time writing for you so it makes up for it!

The people who have known me for a while know that I have a deep interest in anything related to the eyes or vision. Something about this field attracts me to it, perhaps the cool equipment that these professionals use or simply because sight and vision significantly contribute to how we perceive the world. These "Eye Posts" , as I'm going to call any posts in this topic, will be a chance for me to open your eyes (see what I did there? hehe) and help you understand more about this area of study that I love.

I just finished my undergraduate degree at university but I'm pursuing further studies in opticianry at college starting in September (unless I get off the waitlist to go into optometry school)! I'm super excited to attend a new school and be in a different academic environment. Many people have approached me wondering what opticianry is and what the difference is between that, optometry and opthamology.

Taken from concourseoptometry.com

Optometry is the profession in which the doctor examines the anatomy and health of the eye to see if there are any visual defects or symptoms of disease. They are the ones who also help determine your prescription required to prescribe corrective lenses for your vision, whether they're glasses or contact lenses. Yup, these are the individuals who go "Which is clearer? 1 or 2? 3 or 4?" using the phoropter (pictured above) to determine your prescription. I'm currently on the waitlist for optometry school so we'll see from now till September if I get a spot in the program!

Taken from opthamology.medicine.dal.ca

Opthamology is a specialization of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of eye diseases. You need to go into medical school in order to become an opthamologist. People generally know these professionals as "eye surgeons". The above picture shows how an opthamologist would go about their procedures by using an operating microscope in order to look closely at the small details and structure of the eye.

So what is opticianry?

Opticianry is the practice in which the opticians dispense eyeglasses, fit contact lenses, or provide any other kind of gear that's needed to help your vision. This is what I'll be studying to be for the next two years! If you require any advice or service related to glasses, contact lenses, sports vision gear, low-vision gear, eye drops, etc., then the optician is the person you should approach. Here's my selfie to represent my future work with glasses :P

Hopefully this was able to clarify your understanding between these three professions... but yes, they all start with the op- prefix so it does get confusing. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask in the comments below! I would love to try and answer them while learning some new things myself :)

Today's post is a classic OOTD (Outfit Of The Day). I wore this to my Aritzia interview so I did not have to dress super formal or business-like.

Blouse: Forever 21

Black jeans: Old Navy

Flats: Chinese Laundry (purchased from Winners)

Purse: Danier

The blouse has a chest pocket on the front and epaulettes on the shoulders. It has a banded, V neckline and the sleeves can be rolled and held up with an inner strap that attaches to a button on the sleeve. I like this detail as you can dress down the shirt and wear it casually by rolling the sleeves up or make it more fancy or work-like by wearing the sleeves down. It's also very comfortable to wear since the material is very light and feels silky smooth.

I love the jeans from Old Navy because they have a good stretch to them. It fits nicely around the legs without being super tight and stiff. However, the one downside to these jeans is that the colour fades with each wash. I'll probably have to purchase a new pair of black jeans within the next year or else it'll look very worn out due to the faded look.

These flats are probably the most edgy pair of footwear that I have (sorry, hope you don't mind a snap of my bare legs in this pic!) My favourite part of these shoes are the ankle straps. The overall strap consists of multiple mini straps with a silver buckle detailing on each. The flats also have a pointed toe which gives it a sophisticated feel to them. Some people think that the pointed toe style squeezes your toes inward and makes it painful to wear but that is definitely not the case...don't worry, your toes aren't suppose to fill the entire pointed section! The thick ankle strap and the pointed toe together steps it up from classic to edgy. The pointed toe flats made a comeback as a popular spring trend this year so it's nice to have this as a part of my wardrobe.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Hey hey hey!

What's a brilliant way to get to know me better? You got it, with the TMI tag (TMI = too much information)! You've probably seen many Youtubers post a video answering questions about themselves, so I'm gonna do the same...except without the video part. Here comes 45 facts about me so sit back, relax, and read on.

1. What are you wearing?
I'm wearing a Hollister cream-coloured, V-neck T-shirt tucked into navy blue and white striped shorts from American Eagle.

2. Ever been in love?
Yes, I'm deeply in love with Jesus! Hallelujah! Haha but also with my bf :)

3. Ever had a terrible breakup?

Nope. My current bf is my first and hopefully my last!

4. How tall are you?

I'm 5'5".

5. How much do you weight?

I weigh 125 lbs. NO SHAME HERE.

6. Any tattoos?

Nope. Too scared of the pain to even consider getting one.

7. Any piercings?

I only have piercings on my ears. I have two on my left ear lobe and one on my right.

8. Favourite show?

I watch a good handful of shows, but my all-time favourite is Grey's Anatomy.

9. Favourite bands?

Starfield, Hillsong, Hedley

10. Something you miss?

I miss going to the park and playing on the playground as a kid. I'm too tall to hang on the monkey bars now and I can't go on the swings without my feet hitting the ground everytime :(

11. Favourite song?

It changes for me from time to time... but right now I really like listening to John Legend's All of Me and Pharrell Williams' Happy(click the names if you want to listen to them now!)

12. How old are you?

I'm 21, but will be turning 22 soon on Independence Day! *cue 22 by Taylor Swift*

13. Zodiac sign?

Monkey! (if you were wondering my horoscope is Cancer)

14. Quality you look for in a partner?

Honesty, vulnerability, fun

15. Favourite quote?

"We were given two hands to hold, two legs to walk, two eyes to see, two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find." (I love cheese)

I like both, but if I had to choose for the rest of my life, perhaps loud music. I like upbeat, happy music :)

19. Where do you go when you're sad?

I stay at home and crawl into bed.

20. How long does it take you to shower?

Around 10 minutes, 15-20 minutes if I need to wash my hair as well.

21. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? 30 minutes! 40 minutes if I'm a good girl and eat breakfast as well. 22. Ever been in a physical fight? Yes, with my annoying younger brother when we were wee little kids.

23. Turn on?Clean shaven. 24. Turn off?Bad B.O.

25. Fears? Anything crawling up me.

26. Last thing that made you cry?Tears of joy hearing that friends are getting off waitlist and being accepted into medical school, mixed with some tears of disappointment in myself for remaining on the waitlist for optometry school.

27. Last time you said you loved someone? Yesterday night :)

28. Last book you read? The last few books I finished were from Nora Robert's Bride Quartet series.

29. The book you're currently reading? The Bible!

30. Last show you watched?Catching up with Modern Family.

31. Last person you talked to?My mommy.

32. The relationship between you and the person you last texted? J.W., my beautiful friend from church :)

33. Favourite food?Potatoes in any way, but I also love Japanese, Italian, and breakfast food. 34. Place you want to visit? Everywhere in Europe.

35. Last place you were? My Wonderful Kitchen (Chinese restaurant in Richmond Hill)36. Do you have a crush? Yes, celeb crushes! Joseph Gordon Levitt and Andrew Hoult at the moment.

37. Last time you kissed someone?This past Saturday :338. Last time you were insulted? A few weeks ago? It wasn't a direct insult at me, but it did sting a bit. 39. Favourite flavour of sweet? Creamy or fruity.

42. Last sport you played?Softball!43. Last song you sang?Birthday by Katy Perry (when I was alone... in the car... and bobbing to the music)45. Last time you hung out with anyone?Today I went out for lunch with a friend.46. Who should answer these questions next?YOU! What are your answers to these questions? Help me get to know you better :)Until next time, Des

Hello!

My name is Desiree and I'm from Toronto, Canada. Welcome to my creative space! This is my avenue to share about the things I love: beauty, fashion, home, and lifestyle. I hope you stick around and experience the joys of life with me!